The Second Time America was Bombed in World War II
by Matthew J. Boylan, Senior Reference Librarian, AskNYPL, Stephen A. Schwarzman BuildingMarch 15, 2012

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A patron wrote ASK NYPL to ask about her uncle, who died in March 1945 while serving in the U.S. Army during World War II. She granted us permission to share the story of the search here.

Frank E. Downs. Trip to Nome, Alaska, May to Sept. 1900: Bergs; Bergs; Dutch Harbor, Aleutian Islands, Wake of ship leaving harbor; Bergs., Digital ID 1596905, New York Public LibraryThe patron knew very little about her uncle "Buddy." When the Army notified her uncle's next of kin of his death, they did not disclose how or where he died. Further, her uncle's military records had been destroyed in the 1973 National Archives fire. Moreover, the relatives who knew her uncle before the war were now either dead or suffering from Alzheimer's disease. The patron asked specifically for information about her uncle or information pertaining to her uncle's unit, such as where the unit was stationed, what type of work it did, etc. However, the patron only had the "bare bones" of her uncle's military service record: he served in the Second Battalion, 138th Infantry Regiment; one of her relatives remembered sending mail to an "A.P.O in Seattle, Washington;" and that "he may have been sent to Alaska."

The reason that there were no "Unit Histories" for the her uncle's battalion and regiment is because her uncle was stationed in a "Secret Base" on the tip of the Alaskan peninsula at Cold Bay. In 1942, two of the Aleutian islands off Alaska were actually occupied by the Japanese, and the islands were the site of bombings, fierce fighting, and a number of casualties. These islands were not recaptured until well into 1943. This period is known as the "Forgotten Battle," as it was overshadowed by the simultaneous Guadalcanal Campaign. Moreover, the U.S. Military maintained Cold Bay and other bases in the Aleutians until the end of World War II, as they were seen to have strategic importance and might provide a way to bomb Japan.

I was able to locate the base where her uncle was stationed and identify his unit's duties by tracing the genealogical records of another serviceman who had served in her uncle's own battalion and regiment, but who had survived to tell his descendants about it. This bit of research made the information that the patron had already provided fall into place. Her uncle died in March 1945. However, the Army did not disclose to his next of kin the nature of his death (it was not in combat), the precise location of his death, or the duties of his unit. This was due to the "secret" nature of the work of the Second Battalion, 138th Infantry Regiment. Their work would almost certainly, by March 1945, be concerned with the U.S. Army's imminent plans for the invasion of Japan.

It also fit that her uncle's last known mailing address was "an APO in Seattle, Washington." Seattle was the northwestern "Official Post Office of the U.S. Army" in 1945, as Alaska and Hawaii did not formally obtain full United States statehood until 1959. The Army would then transship U.S. Mail to those serving in Alaska, then an organized territory of the United States. The occupation and bombing of the Aleutian Islands was reported upon in 1942 and 1943. The continued existence of the "Secret Bases," such as the one where uncle Buddy died in 1945, was not. So even the fact that her uncle served in a Transportation Unit — one that moved men and material via trucks, jeeps, and other motor vehicles — could not be acknowledged.

Technically, the United States was bombed repeatedly during World War II, if you count the various territories (which you do, counting Alaska and Hawai'i). Guam and the Philippines were sites of fierce fighting.
As for the mainland United States, seventeen states were "bombed" by the Japanese, resulting in six civilian casualties in Oregon.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attacks_on_United_States_territory_in_North_America_during_World_War_II
(New York also saw some action, mostly from saboteurs.)

How can I obtain the information you mention about Cold Bay and the Aleutians in this article?
My father never discussed his service years during WWII. After his death in 2006, our family found an "Alaska album." The few notes he wrote indicate he was in the Aleutians during April '42 through Mar '44. He was stationed in Cold Bay but there are some pictures from Attu in his album.
I have a picture of Company A 138th Infantry, dated Dec. 1941. The picture was taken in Little Rock prior to deployment in Alaska. On the back of the picture are the names of the men. If this interests your patron, send me her uncle's name and I will check.

Hi Karen,
I am wondering if you found anything out about your fathers service? I may be able to help- I write a blog and have been researching the war in Alaska for 4 years. I even went there this summer on a WW2 History tour where I retraced my grandfathers footsteps through the Aleutians. I know this post is old, but I do hope you get it. Email me kabel56@yahoo.com